Forest scientist views of regulatory obstacles to research and development of transgenic forest biotechnology

Abstract

Despite many dozens of research projects, hundreds of field trials, and a long commercialized fruit tree, virus-resistant papaya, there continues to be very little public or private sector activity in the United States that is directed toward development of transgenic forest trees. We therefore undertook a survey of scientists knowledgeable in forest biotechnologies, breeding, ecology, and regulation to assess if they believed that the regulatory regime in the United States presents a significant obstacle to research or commercial development. Conducted in 2007, there were a total of 90 respondents (60% response rate) from throughout the United States. The large majority believed that regulations, in particular containment requirements during field evaluation, posed significant obstacles to development. Top priorities for research included development of gene containment methods and field studies of wood and abiotic stress modification. Priorities for regulatory reform included development of a tiered system and provisional authorizations to enable long-term field research. © 2009 by the Society of American Foresters.